Welcome to Congregation Beth Ami of Santa Rosa, California.
Congregation Beth Ami is online every day for services and classes. All Saturday morning services, some Friday evening services, and some events will be in person in the sanctuary as well as on Zoom. See Events at a Glance for the virtual week calendar with Zoom information.
Events at a Glance and Virtual Week Calendar
to 2:00 pmBeth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links, reopening health and safety procedures, and Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions
BETH AMI VIRTUAL WEEK CALENDAR
Rabbi Miller’s Rashi classes on YouTube
Tuesday May 14 5:30 -7:30 pm Yom Atzmaut
Friday May 17, 6:00 p.m. Sing In Shabbat in person with Leah, Lisa, and Rabbi Miller
Fridays, 6 pm: First Fridays of the month in person and on Zoom: traditional Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Mordecai Miller followed by dinner. Fourth Fridays lay led on Zoom. Other Fridays, Sing in Shabbat, a short, music filled service led by Leah Gerber.
Saturday morning Shabbat services 9:30 a.m. in person and on Zoom.
Mincha starts approximately an hour before Havdallah, followed by Maariv and Havdallah
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. morning and evening prayers will be conducted on Zoom. Beth Ami Virtual Week
Rabbi Miller’s remote classes:
Weekday Mornings 7:30 a.m. Parsha and Rashi study, also streaming and recorded on YouTube
Tuesdays at 2:00 pm Mishnah
Wednesdays at 8:00 pm Midrash
In person and Zoom, Friday, May 17th at 6 pm: special Sing in Shabbat with Leah Gerber, Lisa Iskin and Rabbi Mordecai Miller, Followed by musical Oneg.
Beth Ami Gift Shop Sale May through July: 25% off everything in the Beth Ami Gift Shop. Candles, jewelry, Judaica… Cash or checks only.
A letter from Rabbi Mordecai Miller on the war in Gaza: “Like so many, I’m deeply troubled by the events going on locally and globally…”
Popular Blogs
(See more blogs here)
SERVICES AND EVENTS ARE A MIX OF IN-PERSON, ZOOM AND HYBRID
We are now conducting in person Shabbat morning services, and some indoor meetings, while most evening services and meetings remain on Zoom. We will also have the sanctuary open on Friday evenings for special speakers and occasions, including Shabbat dinner on the first Friday of the month. Our Shabbat services are a true hybrid with active participants on Zoom. Mask mandates have been lifted for our situation, though people should and do wear them. See Beth Ami Virtual Week for details.
First Friday in person service with Rabbi Mordecai Miller at 6:00 pm followed by Shabbat dinner (RSVP). Other Fridays will be on Zoom: On 2nd and 3rd Fridays Leah Gerber leads a short and very sweet musical Shabbat service at 6:00 pm, concluding with our communal Kiddush at about 6:30 pm. We hope that joining as a community in this way, will lift all of our spirits, with the beauty and holiness of Shabbat. Fourth Fridays will be led by congregants.
Saturday Shabbat morning services in person and on Zoom, 9:30 am, lead by Rabbi Mordecai Miller and congregants. There are hearing assistance devices for in-person attendees and captioning available on Zoom. Lunches after Shabbat morning services are prepared by the Kitchen Committee with potluck donations, see food guidelines and recipes here.
Siddur Chadash Shabbat Morning
Saturday night Mincha starts about an hour before Havdalah time, followed by study of a prayer, Maariv and Havdalah: bring Havdallah candle, spicebox and wine.
Weekday: 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Friday mornings will be conducted on Zoom.
Weekday: 7:00 p.m.
weekday Shacharit SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday afternoon SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
weekday maariv SIDDUR SIM SHALOM
A source for Torah and Haftarah is here Another source: https://www.sefaria.org/texts
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links Beth Ami Virtual Week
Closed Captioning/ Live Transcript instructions Closed Caption Instructions for Beth Ami
Social Action, Civil Rights and Social Justice
Please join the members of the Beth Ami’s Advocates for Social Justice as we explore together:
• Have time together with your community at CBA to share experiences and perhaps some sensitive discussions.
• Explore racism and white privilege in the world today and how it has directly and indirectly been a part of our lives.
• Increase our understanding and learn how racism has molded our perceptions.
• Discover ways to be antiracist and support people of color.
• Gain tools and resources to initiate and build social justice in our community.
Social Action continues to provide food to The Palms. We are now serving hot food from crockpots in person. Social Action Committee meets periodically to plan the next Palms dinner. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact Lyla.
We have resumed volunteering at the Redwood Empire Food Bank. You need to sign up online. We usually work the 10:00- 1:00 shift and then go out for a simple meal. This is a great activity with your children or grandkids over 13. Or for any friend.
To get more info, please call Lyla Nathan at 526-7438 or Elizabeth Jarlsberg at BA office 360-3000.
Beth Ami Israel Committee
The Israel Affairs Committee collects links and descriptions of national and international webinars and online viewing about Israel and antisemitism.
Adult Education
Online weekdays: Rashi commentary on the week’s Torah reading, 7:30-8:00 a.m. The text is shared on screen, and translation is always provided. This is pitched towards the person who is beginning to look at traditional Jewish learning. Videos now posted on YouTube
Online: Mishnah Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller on Tuesday afternoons 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
The collection of Oral Torah edited and compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince in the year 200. We will examine the Hebrew text and the classic commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinora. All Hebrew will be translated and explained.
Please feel free to catch a lesson and join us weekly if you find this speaks to your desire to learn about our traditions.
Online: TaNaCh Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller: Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. A study and discussion based on the Parsha of the week or Neviim (Prophets.) In English with lively discussion.
Online: Midrash Class with Rabbi Mordecai Miller: Wednesday evenings 8:00 – 8:45 p.m. We examine the original text of the Midrash Rabba (the Great Midrash) on Genesis as well as an 18th Century commentary called “Eitz Yoseph”. These provide original insights into the Biblical text. Discussion is encouraged.
There is no charge for Rabbi Miller’s classes. A source for Torah and Haftarah is at Bible.ort.org or here Another source: http://www.lashon.net/CL/
Beth Ami Virtual Week chart with Zoom links Beth Ami Virtual Week
Shofar Newsletter
Check out our current newsletter: Shofar May June 2024 for essays, news, more events and details about the events listed above. Archived issues of the Shofar are also available online.
Ongoing activities
On Zoom: Morning Minyan 8:00am
If you need to say Kaddish or memorialize a special event, contact the office at 360-3000 one week in advance, and we will do our best to secure a minyan.
On Zoom: Evening service 7:00 p.m.
In the Social Hall: Exercise for Older Adults 10 am Wednesdays
Israeli Folk Dancing is on a break: See the Israeli Dance blog.
Congregation Beth Ami is located in Northern California,in the heart of Wine Country in Sonoma County, about one hour north of San Francisco, and about one hour west of Napa.
Some Recent Blogs
Friday Shabbat Service for Ukraine thanks and photos
Thanks to the Social Action / Racism and Social Justice Committees, Klezmer Creek, Rabbi Mordecai Miller, and our speakers and guests... and of course the bakers. Friday Shabbat Service for Ukraine on July 22, 6:00 pm. Please join Rabbi Miller for a special D’var...
Socializing and Service
A Big Thank You to all those who helped make the Lag B’Omer BBQ a success. Mark Stoelting, Anne Brown, Leah Kahn, Mark Rosen, Myra Thomas, Russ Gurevitch, Jerry Newman, Ken Plattner, Mel Decker, Rabbi Miller, Betty Boyd, Arnold Herskovic, Abe & Gayle Farkas, Jeff...
Getting together at Howarth Park
Hope everyone is feeling well and Shabbat Shalom On Tuesday, Judi, Susan, Andy, and Leanne did a litter pick up around Howarth Park. Actually, the park is pretty clean so we spent time picking up lots of smaller pieces. We had a good time and it was nice to have an...
A few announcements of importance
There will be a rally to support women's reproductive rights at this Wednesday night's farm market at the square in SR. From 5:00-8:00. There are many postcard writing campaigns going on in the county. Every Thursday from 10:00am-12:00 people meet at Frieda's cafe in...
CBA BOOK GROUP — A.B. YEHOSHUA
We're currently reading famous Israeli writer A.B. Yehoshua's THE LIBERATED BRIDE (Fiction, 568 pgs., Hebrew, 2001; English translation, 2004.) Yehoshua, (who died recently) was a 5th generation Israeli and lived in Haifa. He wrote numerous novels and somehow many in...
Shabbat Lunches Returning
Starting June 18, we began having a simple lunch after Shabbat morning services. Seating will be in the shady breezeway. These will not be potlucks. At this time the only home-prepared items that may be brought in by people are easy to serve desserts that follow the...
Fragile Democracy
To begin, a lot of electrons have already been agitated responding to the general outcry to today’s Supreme Court decision to upend Roe vs. Wade. As the rabbi of Congregation Beth Ami, I go on record in voicing my concern at a decision that, for all practical...
Remembering Arnold Drake, Z”L, on Pride Shabbat
Doctors chats help Santa Rosa rabbi see LGBTQ light: By Robert Nagler Miller | June 10, 2016, J Jewish News of northern California When Rabbi Mordecai Miller of Congregation Beth Ami in Santa Rosa marched with members of his synagogue at Sonoma County’s Pride Parade...
A picnic for us, a dinner for the Palms
Shalom all, Judi, Fredrika and I enjoyed a lovely picnic at Howarth Park. We discussed a few things *Wednesday, July 7th will be volunteer date at Redwood Empire Food Bank from 10:00-11:30. Reservations required. Judi reported that she helped with food prep at the...
BOOK GROUP READING WAGENSTEIN
Current read for the CBA Book Group is Angel Wagenstein's ISAAC'S TORAH. (Fiction, Bulgarian, 2000; English , 2008, 304pgs. Translated into several languages.) Isaac --- name changed, has very real experiences, is born in pre-WWI in the Kolodetz shtetl in what was...